The Chemistry Between Us
by Margo'sShed
Summary: The river gypsies arrive in Holby to much adversity, and when a vigilante group take it upon themselves to get rid of them, Connie finds herself saving the lives of the gypsies, and in turn one particular gypsy helps her to find her own.
1. Chapter 1

**"'Stop Immorality!' Bit melodramatic don't you think?"**

**Connie asked, thumbing her way through the patient notes she was holding.**

**"It's because of the gypsies."**

**Louise said pointedly, pressing blu-tack onto the back of one of the larger posters. **

**Connie glanced up at the poster behind reception. It was acid yellow with thick black writing.**

**"So I gathered."**

**She murmured.**

**"Take them down."**

**"What! Why?"**

**Louise asked, pausing, a ball of blu-tack rolled between her thumb and forefinger.**

**"We are a hospital, not a notice board, and we are certainly not fuelling this hate campaign. If they're not down before I get back I'll take them down myself."**

**She said sharply, and Louise drew in a sigh and rolled her dark eyes, pressing the blu-tack back into the packet, which she then dropped into one of the drawers of reception, closing it with more force than was necessary.**

**"Fine."**

**She snapped, and turned to Noel who was speaking on the phone.**

**"I won't be a minute."**

**She murmured, and excused herself from reception to go in search of the posters she'd spent so long putting up.**

**"That is correct. You will be ten seconds."**

**Connie said, and with a flourish of her papers she moved away from reception and back onto the ward, leaving Louise to take down all of the posters she had spent the morning putting up.**

**She made her way through the littering of patients and staff, the clatter of trolleys and the gentle hum of wheelchairs sounding behind her as she came to her office, just touching her fingers against the handle, letting them rest there for a moment, waiting for someone to call her over for a second opinion, or a signature...**

**But no one called. She exhaled and shook herself slightly, breathing out through parted lips before stepping into the office.**

**"Grace! Sweetheart, I'm sorry I was so long..."**

**"You forgot lunch."**

**Grace said flatly, looking pointedly to her mothers hands. Connie glanced down at the notes she was holding. She'd been distracted by the posters...**

**"Yes...well, I'll just put these away and then I'll go and..."**

**"Don't worry, I'm not hungry any more."**

**Grace sighed and pushed her earphones back into her ears before pressing play on her mobile phone and the faint tinny beat of music began again. Connie made to say something about the volume, how it would hurt her ears, but she quickly thought better of it and, feeling somewhat deflated, she sat down at the desk and opened her laptop.**

**"We can do whatever you want to do."**

**"I want to go home."**

**Grace yawed without putting her hand over her mouth and Connie felt the familiar bubble of irritation begin to rise within her.**

**"We could go somewhere to eat...we could see a film?"**

**She continued but Grace just sighed loudly and folded her arms, looking up at her mother with those bored, dark eyes.**

**"Can't we just go home?"**

**She asked again and Connie pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, but before she could answer Grace had already turned and begun to walk back in the direction of the car park.**

**Connie followed, her hands limp at her sides, half-remembering how Grace had held onto her hand when she was little, even whilst she skipped and giggled and laughed she hadn't let go of her hand. She couldn't remember when she'd stopped.**

**"What's he doing?"**

**Grace stopped abruptly so that Connie had to side-step off of the pavement to avoid walking into her.**

**She followed Grace's pointed hand with her eyes. In the near distance, against the railings of the car park there was a small crowd of men, women and children, and in the middle of them they could just about make out a man.**

**"Can we go and see?"**

**Grace asked, and again she set off without an answer.**

**"Grace..."**

**She whispered, though Grace was already on the other side of the road. She caught up with her, though she stayed slightly behind her as they approached the crowd.**

**Grace pushed through to the front where a ring of children of all ages gathered, some sitting, some standing.**

**Connie pressed herself against the railings, feeling the metal, warm from the sun, press hard against her bare arm.**

**She tilted her head, catching glimpses of the man in the circle. He was sitting by the edge of the space on an upturned wooden box and on his lap lay a guitar. He was re-stringing it, a loose wire bounced and glinted between his teeth, and every so often he would glance up to the little girl that stood beside him, a long ribbon tied about the messy knot of hair at the back of her head, her skin was dark from the sun and she was busy doing quick, impressive magic tricks for the children who stared in wonder, all watching carefully to try to see how they were done.**

**She glanced to Grace, she was standing near the front, her arms folded, though she watched intently, and as the little girl pulled a series of cards out of nowhere, Grace laughed, and though all the other children laughed too, Connie heard Grace's laugh, though the laugh she heard was of a Grace much younger...**

**Eventually the man finished re-stringing his guitar and he made a noise in the back of his throat, catching the little girls attention and she rushed to the centre of the little clearing, and as he began to pluck the strings of the guitar with his fingers, she began to dance.**

**Connie watched her for a moment, her fluid, graceful movements to the quick rhythmic twang of the guitar. She must have been a little younger than Grace, maybe five or six years old, though she was small for her age. She glanced up at the man with the guitar, his shoulders hunched over it slightly to keep his balance on the box, and though his fingers kept the beat, he looked out into the crowd, watching how everyone clapped the little girl, a quick smile at his lips, the smile of a proud father? **

**Someone jostled her from behind and she had to step forwards to avoid losing her balance, her movement caught his eye, though his fingers never missed a beat. He looked over at her, his eyes were dark and glittering and his lips hid a smile beneath them. His hair was long, though she couldn't tell how long, and a dark ruddy auburn and was pulled back from his angular face, made brown by the sun...gypsies...she realised.**

**He cast a slow sideways glance to Grace who stood near him, studying her for a moment before looking back to Connie, his eyes narrowing briefly. Was the family resemblance really that strong?**

**The music seemed to go on and on, and the dancing never faltered, and once or twice, without meaning to, Connie found her own foot tapping to the rhythm that the gypsy man plucked out on the guitar.**

**The sun beat down, hot and heavy as it hung above them, lazily drifting through the cloudless sky.**

**Gradually, as they stood, the crowd began to disperse as the afternoon sun got too much, and the crowd began to grow tired of the dancing girl and her musician, who, noticing that the crowd was beginning to thin, bought his song to an end and tossed a folded piece of material over to the little girl who skilfully unrolled it to reveal an array of hand made jewellery that glinted and sparkled as she offered them out to the children who turned to their parents. **

**Connie watched as Grace was offered one, she saw her large eyes swivel quickly to Connie who gave a brief shake of her head and the little girl moved on to the next child, whose mother responded as Connie, and the rest of the parents had, only one older child who appeared to be out on her own bought a pale blue jewelled necklace and hung it about her neck before moving away as the rest of the crowd began to move on.**

**Grace made her way slowly back over to Connie, pausing only to watch the gypsy man set his guitar down onto the wooden box. He stood up, and took the fold of materiel from the little girl who was now busy picking up feathers that she had found swept against the railings.**

**"Here."**

**The man startled Grace by holding out a brown leather necklace with a dark red stone hanging at it's centre.**

**"Grace..."**

**Connie stepped forwards as Grace began to reach out for it, and the gypsy man looked over at her, his eyes were a clear, bottle green, and he smiled slightly showing straight white teeth.**

**"It's a gift."**

**He said, and with one quick movement he tossed the necklace so that it balled up within his hand, and held it over his other hand, dropping it into his palm and holding it out to her.**

**"And one for you."**

**He said, uncurling both of his hands. There were now two identical necklaces, one in each hand. **

**Grace took hers and slipped it over her head, looking down and fingering the red stone between her fingers.**

**He still held the necklace out to Connie, dangling it between his fingers so that the stone twirled and danced on the end of the leather, capturing and reflecting the light and spinning back on itself.**

**"No...thank you."**

**She murmured, and he withdrew his hand, slipping the necklace back among the others.**

**"Suit yourself."**

**He had a faint accent, though she couldn't place it.**

**"But can I ask why not?"**

**He asked, narrowing his eyes at her, and with the back of his hand he wiped the sweat from his forehead.**

**She smiled slightly.**

**"It's not what you think."**

**She said quietly, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a movement behind him, just over his shoulder, the quick flicker of someone, and she heard Grace shriek and the gypsy turned to see a man snatch up the guitar that lay on the brown wooden box, and before any of them could move, he'd begun to run. **

**The little girl shrieked, Grace moved closer to Connie and the gypsy made to run after him, but stopped after only a few steps, he couldn't leave his little girl. Instead he shouted a string of profanities that made Connie wince and she placed her hand over Grace's ear, hugging her head against her chest.**

**The gypsy whispered something under his breath and kicked the side of the box so that it tipped up and rolled over to reveal a little woven basket full of the necklaces that they'd been trying to sell.**

**Connie stood, unsure of what to do. The gypsy turned slowly, exhaling and running a hand through his hair, strands of which had come loose from his short plait and curved about his jaw.**

**She felt for her phone in her pocket and offered it out to him, he looked down at it within her palm and looked back up at her.**

**"The police?"**

**She offered and he stifled a laugh and shook his head.**

**"Thank you, but no."**

**He said, and then with surprising softness he turned and murmured something inaudible to the little girl, crouching down to her level and stroking the top of her head, kissing her forehead.**

**"No more dancing?"**

**She whispered and he murmured something else.**

**She nodded to him and through eyes that glittered with tears the little girl nodded, smiled, and he helped her up onto his back where she held herself, her little arms clinging about his neck, her legs curled up above his hips whilst he gathered together the rest of his belongings, and with a quick backward glance to Connie and Grace, they left.**

**"What do you think they'll do now?"**

**Grace asked as they pulled out of the car park and onto the road. They'd stopped off at a little cafe to buy milkshakes, and now Grace sat loudly slurping the remains of hers from the bottom of the plastic cup.**

**"Hmm?"**

**Connie murmured, watching the lights and pulling to a stop at the end of the narrow road.**

**"The little girl and the man. What do you think they'll do now?"**

**She asked, and she bought up her knees to her chest, wriggling beneath the seat belt and resting the cup on her knees.**

**Connie pulled away again as the lights changed and a bleeping noise sounded, and at last they were on the way home.**

**"I expect he will buy another one."**

**She said quietly, thinking about the man and the little girl, wondering where they were now. She felt silly for expecting him to ring the police, she could well imagine why he would refused their help, and though she didn't say anything, she thoroughly doubted that he would be able to afford another guitar.**

**"Can we come back again and see if they're there again tomorrow?"**

**Grace asked, and she yawned loudly, though Connie noticed that she put her hand over her mouth this time...her mood seemed to have changed for the better after watching the dancing and magic performed by the gypsy girl and her father.**

**"I expect so."**

**Connie murmured, and indicated to turn out of the city centre, catching the slight smile at Grace's lips.**

****Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you enjoyed it and whether or not you would be interested in seeing it continue. x****


	2. Chapter 2

**The next day they were there again, though this time there was no music, just the little girl doing her magic, with the gypsy man as her aid, passing her objects on cue, sitting on his box, one ankle crossed over his knee.**

**Grace went ahead, there were only two other children and their collective parents watching today, and the little tin cup that Connie now noticed at the foot of his wooden box was empty save for a few dull brown coppers.**

**As Connie neared, the gypsy glanced up and she found she made her way over to him, stopping next to him.**

**He leant back and without looking up at her spoke quietly to her.**

**"Come to distract me again? I've got nothing worth stealing this time."**

**He murmured.**

**"Excuse me?!"**

**She exclaimed, and he looked up at her, smiling a quick flicker of a smile, his eyes were dark and laced with amusement.**

**"I'm joking."**

**He whispered, and she felt herself blush.**

**"Oh..."**

**She murmured, and looked across at the little girl who was sitting Indian style on the pavement, cards splayed out before her and Grace and the two other girls were huddled in close as she taught them a simple card trick.**

**"Do you come here often?"**

**She asked, and immediately regretted her choice of words.**

**"Sorry...I didn't mean..."**

**She frowned and he laughed, a low chuckle of a laugh that made her smile despite her obvious embarrassment.**

**"We're here most days."**

**He said, and he cleared his throat as he stood up.**

**"We're staying by the river. You may have heard..."**

**He smiled a dark smile as he spoke, and glanced in the direction of the lamp post that stood a little way from them, a poster, the same as those she had had Louise take down adorned it's side, gold pins pushed in at it's corners.**

**"I've heard."**

**She said, and he narrowed his eyes briefly, just looking at her, as though he were waiting for her to come up with an excuse to leave, and when she didn't, he stood up.**

**"Roux."**

**He said, and it took her a moment to realise that he was introducing himself.**

**"Connie...Beauchamp..."**

**She took his hand and shook it, his hand was warm and easily encased her own though his hand shake was gentle.**

**"And your daughter?"**

**He asked, letting go of her hand suddenly and looking over at Grace who was practising the card trick with the help of the others.**

**"Grace."**

**Connie followed his gaze, Grace looked so happy...**

**"And yours?"**

**She asked and he looked back at her, a slight frown creasing between his eyes.**

**"Hmm? Oh...Anouk."**

**He ran a hand through his hair, it was loose today and just hung against his shoulders. His shirt was grey and rolled up at the sleeves, and his jeans were dirty at the knees from where he had been kneeling. **

**"She looks like you, you know...she's got your eyes...that look..."**

**He narrowed his eyes at her again and she suddenly felt rather self-conscious.**

**"That look that says you're not happy...not really..."**

**He murmured. She smiled tightly.**

**"We can't stay long..."**

**She said and looked over to Grace.**

**"Leave her. She's happy."**

**He said pointedly. **

**"So where do you work?"**

**He asked, and he gestured for her to follow him as he side stepped around the wooden box and moved slightly further away to where he leant back against the railings.**

**"The hospital...I'm working later."**

**She looked again to Grace but Roux reached out a hand to her, touching her arm.**

**"Relax."**

**He said quietly, his hand was hot against her skin and she wished for a brief, mad moment, that he wouldn't let go.**

**"Just enjoy it."**

**He murmured and she frowned.**

**"Enjoy what?"**

**She asked and he shrugged and let go of her arm.**

**"This! Now...!"**

**And he gestured to their surroundings.**

**The following day was even hotter. Grace was at home with the nannie.**

**Connie walked through the city centre, moving against the flow of people and glancing in shop windows, bakeries, clothes shops...she paused, recognising the figure ahead of her. **

**Roux was standing on the edge of the pavement, his hands were pushed into the pockets of his jeans, his hair was tied back in a loose pony tail and his arms were bare, wearing only a white sleeveless shirt.**

**She slowed her pace as she neared him, he didn't look up, he was staring hard into the window of a music shop, but as she slowed to a stop he caught her reflection in the glass and turned to face her. **

**"Choosing the next one?"**

**She asked, and he smiled, glancing back at the guitar displayed in the window, it was tarnished silver with a decorative metal plate on it's body, the strings caught the sunlight through the window and cast long shadows against it and the neck stretched upwards into a flat panel with six white pegs pushed into it's sides.**

**"No harm in dreaming."**

**He murmured, and she followed his gaze, there was no price ticket, only it's name written in black cursive writing and set on a card at it's base, 'Dobro Ozark Rezonator.'**

**"Will you get another one?"**

**She asked, more for something to say.**

**He sucked in a breath and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.**

**"I'll figure something out."**

**He said eventually, and turned to face her properly.**

**"Shouldn't you be saving lives?"**

**He asked and it was her turn to smile.**

**"The NHS haven't cut back on lunch breaks just yet."**

**She said and he grinned and nodded slowly, glancing down at his feet, to his scuffed soft brown leather shoes. **

**"Would you like to join me?"**

**She asked quietly, wondering if he he'd eaten recently. **

**He looked slightly taken aback though he laughed slipped one hand from his pocket, running the back of his thumb across his forehead.**

**"I should warn you, you make friends with us, you make enemies of others."**

**He said quietly, watching her with those green eyes that never seemed to look at you, but into you.**

**All about them glinted the yellow posters, in shop windows, on lamp posts...**

**"Is that a promise?"**

**She asked, and he showed his teeth in a grin, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.**

**"It's a guarantee."**

**He said quietly and she smiled and re-adjusted her bag that hung on her shoulder.**

**"So where do you fancy?"**

**She asked and he looked momentarily confused.**

**"I'm sorry?"**

**"For lunch. Where would you like to go?"**

**She asked and he wrinkled his nose and looked about them, casting an eye over the café's and restaurants, the little yellow posters...**

**"I've got a better idea."**

**He said eventually.**

**Please review to let me know whether or not you'd like to see this story continued :) x**


	3. Chapter 3

"I'd take you to meet the others but..."

He paused, gestured with a hand and exhaled, willing her to understand, though knowing she did not.

"I don't think the two of you will mix."

He grinned and she caught the glimmer of a gold tooth somewhere at the back of his mouth in between the surprisingly white, straight teeth.

"The two of us?"

She asked, glancing down to the spread between them. He had bought her back to the river bank, a little way along from where the gypsy boats were moored. He had left her briefly beneath the shaded dome of a weeping willow tree whilst he went back to his boat to gather things for a picnic lunch.

"My people, and you."

He clarified, following her gaze to the food before them.

"Help yourself."

He added.

There were china plates, no two the same, squares, circles, ovals, each splayed with eccentric colourful patterns apart from a little cream melamine dish with a pale blue rim full of golden honey comb. There were plates of berries; strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, plates of little home made pepper biscuits, octagonal in shape and flecked with black pepper, olives, sweet little maple syrup cakes, tomatoes on the vine and charred corn on the cob, still warm from the flames.

She took a corn cob between her fingers and bit into the fleshy yellow kernels, juicy and sweet with the ashy bite from the BBQ and the saltiness of butter that left a sheen of grease upon her mouth.

"Good?"

He asked, watching her, a smile twitching the corner of his lips.

She nodded as she chewed, touching her fingertips to her mouth self-consciously.

"Very."

She confirmed once she had swallowed.

"Grace would love this."

She said without thinking.

"So bring her one day."

He said with a shrug.

"Oh I..."

"You worry too much."

She looked at him but didn't say a word.

"What do you think, hmm? What's the harm in bringing her here?"

She'd hoped he wouldn't ask. She couldn't put her finger on it. Was it that she feared for Grace's safety? Or was it that she feared Grace would realise how trivial, how monotonous and boring her own life was and never want to come home.

"I thought you said we might not get along?"

She asked, an attempt at deflection.

"I meant you. Grace...they'd love Grace."

He placed an olive between his teeth and grinned before he smiled.

"What's wrong with me?!"

"There's nothing wrong with you. You're just different is all. Grace...children in general, they adapt more easily, they accept the differences between people without fear."

He paused and regarded her with those steady green eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with who you are."

He said quietly, and he reached out for the bowl of honey and held it out to her.

"Try this."

She looked down at the bowl of honey. How it glimmered in the dappled sunlight like gold between his hands.

What was she doing here? She had a sudden overwhelming feeling that she had made a fool of herself. She didn't belong here, beneath the canopy of a willow tree. Picnics weren't 'her' at the best of times...but by the river with a gypsy that she had only met twice? She felt anxious, nervous even, seeing him in an entirely different light all of a sudden. She didn't know this man, she didn't know what his intentions were...

She shook her head, unable to meet his eyes.

"I think I should go."

She said quickly, placing the half eaten corn cob back on the plate. She risked looking up at him, but instead of seeing shock, or perhaps annoyance behind his eyes, she saw nothing but the calm green eyes of somebody who had expected this all along.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"You don't have to explain."

He cut her off with uncharacteristic haste and watched her stand up.

"But before you go..."

He got to his feet and pushed a hand into the front pocket of his trousers, pulling out a folded brown paper bag.

"Try this."

He held it out to her. She looked from it to him, and then back again.

"What is it?"

She asked hesitantly.

"Lemon balm tea."

He said with a shrug of his shoulders, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Just add a spoonful to a mug of boiling water...it'll help you to relax."

"Do I look as though I need to relax?"

She asked, and he smiled, perhaps he held back a laugh.

"Yes."

He gave the bag a little shake.

"You do."

-.-

I'm starting this story up again, please let me know if you'd like to see more! xxx


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